Automobile trunks require an emergency release mechanism to permit a person trapped accidentally within the confines of the automobile trunk with the trunk lid closed and locked to be able to effect a release of the locked trunk lid and permit the person to escape from the confines of the automobile trunk. The release mechanism is actuated by pulling on an emergency trunk release handle. Conventional emergency trunk release handles are formed from a phosphorescent plastic material, i.e. a material that glows in the dark.
A label containing printed material to explain graphically the use of the release handle to effect operation of the emergency release mechanism is mounted on the surface of the plastic material only after an adhesion promotion process is applied, i.e. adhesion promotion material, flame treatment, or plasma treatment. The graphics and/or directions for the use of the handle are difficult to see in the dark when the utilization of the handle would be required. It would be desirable to produce a glow-in-the-dark plastic handle without the need to prepare the surface of the material with adhesion enhancement process and also any need to print and/or paint any graphics or directions onto the material.
Emergency trunk release handles are known in the prior art, as is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,511, issued to Michael K. Lam, et al, on May 28, 2002. In this Lam patent, which is the specific emergency release handle over which the instant invention presents an improvement, the T-shaped handle is formed from phosphorescent material, or is formed of a dark plastic on which the images are printed in a phosphorescent material so that the images will glow in the dark.
A phosphorescent vehicle trunk release handle is also taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,395, issued to David M. Roessler on Apr. 9, 2002. Light to enhance the excitement of the phosphorescent material is directed into the truck adjacent the emergency release handle to allow the handle to glow in the dark without requiring the trunk lid to be opened or the utilization of electricity.
The use of electricity to illuminate a light source that causes a fluorescent material to produce letters and numbers on a sheet of material is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,012, issued to Lars A. Bergkvist on May 10, 1988. Similarly, the utilization of a luminous material to glow through transparent material, with opaque material blocking the release of light, to illuminate a sign is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,971, issued to G. R. Harrison on Oct. 13, 1953, while U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,780, issued to J. F. Goggin on Aug. 2, 1938 uses a luminescent material on the sign to effect illumination.
Conventional manufacturing processes would involve insert molding or affixation of the label after the plastic handle was formed from a molding process, such as injection molding. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved emergency release handle that would provide superior visibility. Furthermore, the printing of the graphics on a pad or label for affixation to the emergency release handle is a costly process to manufacture the emergency release handle.